


Third Time's the Charm

by CherryBlossomLesbian



Series: Prompt Fills [10]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Artist Steve Rogers, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Electrocution, Fluff and Angst, Hospitals, Kidnapping, M/M, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Prompt Fill, other than that it's ambiguous timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:20:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27626684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryBlossomLesbian/pseuds/CherryBlossomLesbian
Summary: They'd removed the arm Shuri made him, and replaced it with a carbon copy of the old one, red star and all. They'd put him under while they installed it, and when he woke up, he never grew out of that foggy feeling of the anesthesia. He's almost certain they're pumping sedatives into him through an intravenous line in the arm.He'd only been fed three times. He estimates he's only slept five hours in total since he's been here.Everything about his current predicament is shrouded in mystery, and Bucky doesn't like it at all.OR: Bucky is captured again, his kidnappers intent on turning him into the Winter Soldier again by using the chair. When Steve is captured as well, the two try to find a way to escape as quick as they can.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Prompt Fills [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1978546
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Third Time's the Charm

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt:  
> “Let’s hope he doesn’t remember your face when he wakes up, your eyes always were horribly distinctive.” 
> 
> [Original prompt post](https://a-cure-for-writers-block.tumblr.com/post/624595306422714368/100-more-angstargument-prompts)

Third shock. 

He could handle a third shock. It took them at least twenty to break him the first time, from the what the files had said. 

He could handle a third shock. 

If he just kept telling himself that, he'd be able to make it through. 

Some amount of day ago, Bucky isn't sure the exact number, ex-HYDRA agents had managed to grab him during a mission. The rest of the team had been so engrossed in the battle they hadn't even noticed when his comms line went dark. 

They'd brought him down into a bunker, he wasn't sure where. They kept him in a cell except for the times where they'd lead him to a replica- or maybe the same one, he's not sure if it was destroyed after he broke free or not- of the chair. 

They'd removed the arm Shuri made him, and replaced it with a carbon copy of the old one, red star and all. They'd put him under while they installed it, and when he woke up, he never grew out of that foggy feeling of the anesthesia. He's almost certain they're pumping sedatives into him through an intravenous line in the arm. 

He'd only been fed three times. He estimates he's only slept five hours in total since he's been here. 

Everything about his current predicament is shrouded in mystery, and Bucky doesn't like it at all.

The agents in lab coats swarmed about. His arms and legs had already been secured into cuffs on the chair, which had been easy for them to do in his sedated state. 

One of the lab coats entered something on the computer just out of his line of sight, and the machine began to whirl, awakening. 

He opened his mouth when they brought the mouthguard to his lips. There was a time to fight, but it wasn't now. 

"Is Rogers ready?" The other lab coat asked to an overseeing agent, who was in a leather jacket that was covered in dirt and a bit of blood. 

It took Bucky a moment to register why he recognized the name, which was not a good sign. 

But when it did, his mind became an endless stream of 'they have Steve'. 

He screamed the words out around the mouthguard until the machine reached his temple and clicked into place, and the shock began. 

~~~~~~~~~

They threw his limp body back into the cell. 

He rested his cheek against the cold concrete, attempting to find his bearings and failing again and again. 

He was losing himself again. He felt it. He was okay for now, he knew who he is, who Steve is, where he is… 

Where is he again? 

"Bucky?" 

That voice. 

He remembered that voice. 

It was Steve. 

He remembers Steve. That's the most important thing. He can't forget him again. 

"He's passed out, Captain. Let's hope he doesn't remember your face when he wakes up. Your eyes were always horribly distinctive." The agent- the same agent who'd been in the room before- said. 

He didn't protest. It was better if they thought he was asleep. 

He could see the agent's boots in the frame of his vision, but that was it. Maybe, if he could grab his ankle, throw him off his balance…

"You'll pay for this." Steve spat out in retaliation, and Bucky had to keep himself from smirking. He was doing the cliche superhero lines today. 

"You'll pay for making him leave us. We had the perfect soldier, listened to our every move. Now we have to reprogram him, which won't be hard, considering his nature and loyalty trails back to us, but it does make us waste valuable times. Do you know the kind of destruction we could do if we had The Soldier back in our command, instead of having to tediously remind him who he belongs to? We are the ultimate end to this world, the final answer-" 

Bucky cut him off by grabbing one ankle with his flesh hand, and kicking the other leg off its balance. 

He fell to the floor, and Bucky heard the sound of metal shattering into pieces. The next moment Bucky saw the boots of Steve's uniform come into his small window of view, and the agent's entire body slumped against the wall a second later. 

"Bucky, Bucky, can you hear me?" Steve's voice was pleading and laced with worry as he kneeled down by Bucky's figure. 

"Y-yeah. I'm good." He choked out, feeling a lump rise in his throat. His muscles spasmed, body still reeling from the aftershocks of the chair. 

"You don't look it. C'mon, let's get out of here." Steve's face came into view then, and Bucky could see his nose beginning to bruise, dried blood stuck on the cupid bow of his lips. 

Lips Bucky really, really wanted to kiss right now. 

"Wanna kiss you." Bucky slurred out, and Steve chuckled a bit before picking Bucky up in one smooth motion, holding his entire body against his chest. 

Bucky sighed in contentedness as he laid his head on Steve's shoulder, soaking up the warmth. He hadn't even noticed how cold he was until now. 

Steve began to march out of the cell and out into the halls of the base. Bucky thinks he hears pained grunts from various agents on their way. 

He's so out of it. He doesn't know if it's the sedatives or the shock or a mix of both, but he just wants to fall asleep in Steve's arms as his boyfriend is beating the bad guys up. 

There's the sound of metal being wrenched open, and then there's a soft breeze running through his matted hair. They're somewhere warm, which makes him even more confused about why the base was so cold. 

He breaths in the fresh air, savors it, then coughs up blood all over the back of Steve's uniform. 

"...sorry." He apologies quietly, throat hoarse and sore from screaming in the chair. 

"It's alright, Buck. These things can be dry-cleaned." Steve responds as his ears fill with the sound of a motor from above. 

It's not a joke, not a funny one at least, but Bucky chuckles. 

"Team's above in a shuttle, honey. They're gonna take us home. You can rest safely now." Steve promises as the noise grows louder. 

That was all Bucky needed to finally pass out, his head on his boyfriend's shoulder and blood on his lips. 

~~~~~~~

He wakes up to the familiar sound of graphite scratching on paper and the mechanical beeping of a heart monitor. 

He peels his eyes open slowly, the bright florescent lights above making it harder. He's sure his pupils are dilating, or they were already dilated from the concussion he undoubtedly has. 

He looks to his left side, and sees Steve sitting in the stiff, plastic hospital chair, dirty blonde hair tousled and messy. He's wearing a white t-shirt that is essentially sheer from how tight it is around his chest, and there's a clean white bandage around his nose. He has one of his favorite sketchbooks balanced on his lap, and a pencil and eraser in his hands. 

Bucky's face morphs into a loopy smile as Steve looks over at him. 

"Pre'ty." Bucky murmurs, and Steve just huffs in disbelief. 

"You're delirious. They got you on enough painkillers and muscle relaxers to last a lifetime." He shakes his head in playful disapproval, closing his sketchbook and placing it on the nightstand.

Steve sighs, and his eyes turn serious.

"So, Buck. You were gone for five days. You have a minor chest infection. You probably developed it due to an inhaled substance in the base. They're giving you antibiotics for that. The arm they gave you is gone, along with the drugs they were giving you through it- Shuri's already on her way building a new one." Steve explained. 

Bucky's smile turns into a lopsided smirk. "You a doctor now?" 

Steve shakes his head again, as if Bucky is a misbehaving child and not his boyfriend in the hospital. 

"You need to get some rest." Steve reaches over to gently run his fingers through Bucky's hair. It's not as matted as before, some of the knots having been teased out, probably by Steve. 

"I need you." Bucky counters, trying to give his best puppy dog eyes. Knowing how loopy he is right now through, it most likely looks more creepy than cute. 

"Very funny. Here, I'll hold your hand, okay? And I won't let go until you wake up, so I'm always here." Steve proposes, and Bucky only considers the idea for a moment before he's eagerly nodding. 

It takes a bit of maneuvering to find a comfortable position for Steve to hold around the IV inserted in his hand and the blood oxygen tracker on his pointer finger, but eventually they find the perfect place for each of Steve's fingers to fit so that they can hold hands as Bucky drifts off again. 

Steve watches protectively as Bucky's eyes slip shut, drawing a large breath when the heart monitor dips just the slightest bit down as his breathing even outs. 

Steve keeps his promise. His hand stays holding Bucky's, the other flipping absentmindedly at his old drawings in the sketchbook.

This book was largely Bucky. Ever since they became friends in '26, Bucky had been adamant that Steve could, and should, draw him whenever he wanted. The same thing had been repeated after he returned back in the twenty-first century. Steve wonders if his boyfriend did, or still does, have a dream about modelling or something similar, with how eager he was when Steve used him as a reference. 

As he flipped through, he caught sight of a few of his favorites: Bucky sipping on a lemonade on the shaded outdoor patio of a restaurant, Bucky asleep on the couch, Bucky attempting to braid his own hair and failing miserably.

And his most recent work in progress- Bucky, asleep in the hospital bed, giving a wide, toothy grin as he dreamt.

Looking through all of the drawings, all of the memories, just reminded Steve how incredibly infatuated he was with this man. 

And honestly? That was fine by Steve.

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to submit a prompt for me to write, check out the notes of my prompt fills series this fic is in!
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/cartersleia)
> 
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